John Raptis & Rue Morgue Records
Here at Fast 5ive we like it loud OK! And there is none louder right now than Rue Morgue Records. The devil child of famed metal music photographer John Raptis, who has captured the likes of AC/DC, KISS, Ghost, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Metallica and many other rock icons through his camera lens, Rue Morgue Records hosts a carefully curated roster of metal artists dedicated to releasing limited-edition goodness for the discerning collector. We’ve been a fan of John’s photography for a long time, and it’s not just because he’s also a rad human being. With an eye for metal and an ear for vinyl, we talk to John about how Rue Morgue got started and what’s coming up next for this kick-ass indie label.
Please tell us a bit about yourself – what makes you tick?
There are so many things that make me tick that it’s really hard to summarize it all. I’ll try and keep this brief and to the point, so I don’t bore anyone or big-note myself too much! OK, I am mostly known as a Rock Music Photographer having shot thousands of bands over the course of the last 15 years. I mostly shoot bands of a harder music persuasion and if you care to name a band, I have most probably photographed them on their various tours of Australia.
I’m an avid collector of Occult literature, serial killer books, comic books and anything and everything that goes bump in the night. A visit to my home has often been compared to a visit to the Addams Family house. So yeah, I’m weird in every way possible and I love that about me!
How did you get into photography, especially live music photography, and what do you love about taking photos?
I’d been photographing streets and urban landscapes as far back as the early 2000’s. I felt over the course of that journey that I was getting kind of good at it and wanted to branch out a little and start shooting bands and music. This isn’t the easiest form of photography, so I practiced for a few years by shooting very small bands in very small venues. Sometime in 2008, I noticed that the Angels were playing at Melbourne’s Forum. I decided to email the manager and see if I could get a pass to the show. Within minutes, my request was approved so I was off to shoot my first big band. I honestly had no clue what I was doing, and I felt so incredibly nervous. So much so, I ended up breaking my camera in the photo-pit. First big show, first big expense! 🙂
Photography to me is just something which brings me the greatest joy. Whether I’m shooting Melbourne’s streets or the biggest bands in the world, I just feel so incredibly connected with my camera that it genuinely soothes my soul and very being. Especially with live music photography when you’re photographing legendary bands at venues such as Rod Laver Arena, or Marvel Stadium… the adrenaline is intense and indescribable. So much energy is being invested and thrown at you from every direction. Behind you there is a crowd of 20,000 people cheering for the band. In front of you, Metallica, KISS, or Iron Maiden are generating the same energy back to the crowd and BOOM – there you are, literally right in the middle of it all. I can’t even begin to tell you what that feels like.
You started your record label in 2018, which is huge! Can you tell us about how the label came about and some of your favourite releases so far?
Now as I’m hitting the depths of middle age, I thought to myself wouldn’t it be amazing to have my own record store and spend the rest of my working life doing something I love in addition to the photography. So initially Rue Morgue Records began as a store. It’s still thriving as an online store and will be a physical bricks and mortar store in due course. I wanted to learn the ropes of running a business first, so it’s an online portal (for now). Around about that time, a friend of mine wanted my help to put out a CD album. We met and discussed it and I said to him, why don’t we release the album on vinyl instead? The vinyl boom was in effect and still going very, very strong so we decided to pursue that route. This was in early 2019. Today, we have close to 25 releases (all on vinyl) with many more currently in development.
My fave releases so far are the compilation albums we’ve been putting together. We’re currently wrapping up Volume 3 of an album series, which is called Murders In The Rue Morgue. These records feature mostly Hard Rock bands doing the traps around Australia and we’re now turning our attention to Punk Rock with a new series entitled Spankmag. Vol 1 of Spankmag will be out in the Spring and it’s going to be an incredible record!
What do you love about music, metal and vinyl – what makes it so good? Why is vinyl such a great format for music?
I look back and it seems one way or another, my life has always been surrounded by and immersed in music. I was a diehard KISS fan back in 1975 (!!) way before it became popular to be so, and I’ve carried my love for Rock N Roll to the present day. I love all types of music but the harder and heavier it is, the more it seems to have an intense effect on me. I love the fact that heavier bands also concentrate on the visual aspect of their craft. I cannot stand bands that get on a stage and look like accountants. The stage is sacred ground. You get up on there, and you look the damn part! Be a Rock God!
Having shot so much live music over the years, I’m partially deaf in one ear (thank you Lemmy!) but if you play me an MP3 or a piece of music from a vinyl record, I can tell the difference immediately. There is this beautiful sonic quality to vinyl that just cannot be matched by the digital format. Even lossless digital files don’t have the warmth and purity of a vinyl record. And that’s why I feel it is such an amazing format for music. Add to that the cover art and tangibility of holding something in your hands and there is just no comparison.
What big things are coming up next for you and the label – tell us everything!
The label is just growing and growing on a daily basis. As mentioned, we’re wrapping up two big projects with Murders In The Rue Morgue Vol 3 and Spankmag Vol 1. Work has also already begun on Vol 4 of the Murders In The Rue Morgue series, and that’s going to be a full on Metal release featuring some of Australia’s finest exponents of that genre. We do get a lot of international bands sending us their music too, but for now, we want to keep this Australian only. It’s been a very busy year for us so far and by the end of it, we’ll have released 5 records. (HZED, Mushroom Giant, Witchgrinder, Spankmag 1 and Murders 3). For a small independent label, that is a lot of product!
Find out more:
www.ruemorguerecords.com
Or follow on the Instagrams:
@ruemorguerecords
@visceral.industry
@clandestine.manifesto
@hellblazer
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